Safety device for semitrailers



Nov. 28,1933.

E. H. ALLEN SAFETY DEVICE FOR SEMITRAILERS Filed May 22, 1935 ifa,...

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Patented Nov. 28, 1933 PATENT" omer. A

SAFETY DEVICE FoRsEMITRAILERs Edwin Howe Allen, Edgerton, Wis., assignor to Highway Trailer lCom corporation pany, Edgerton, Wis.; a

v-Applicatim.May 22, 1933. Serial No. 672,."307

In the art of semitrailer vehicles, which ve. hicles are usually known as the pay load vehicles' of six wheel tractor-trailerv combination'vehicles,

the semitrailer is equipped with electric signal lights. Suitable circuit wires and contacts are mounted' on the' trailer to cooperate with contacts l on the tractor, or tractor fth wheel so that when the four wheel tractorfvehicleis coupled to the two u wheel trailer vehicle electric current may be sup- 1Q:Y plied-to the circuitsof the trailer which include the signal lights. y

When the tractor and ktrailer vehiclesare uncoupled, it is'necessary, 'of course, to disconnect nthe contact means between the two. o lli lThe present invention makes provision-of special contact means on the trailer, movable into and' out `of A cooperationwith thecontact Y means on'the'tractor, in making and breaking the cir-Y rcuit, andconnecting the signals von the trailer -with the electric current'supply-means on` the tractor.

Semitrailers are equipped with -movable sup-v ports vmounted on the front portions thereofto support the Vfront end ofV the trailer 'when it is ldisconnectedfrom the tractor. f

The present inventionmakesvprovision' for-*a combinative action between the support for the `front end of a trailer, vand the electric contact means-.for the signal' circuit;` ofthe `said trailer, whereby'fwhenthe said support is moved downwardlyto an'operative position to' carry the front end ofthe trailer whilst the tractor vehicle is disconnectedI therefrom, interconnections will be automatically operatd'by such movementof the said support so as to actuate the 'contactmembers' carried fby the trailer and Ymove said contact members into an inoperative position. Likewise the said interconnections are susceptible of oper-f ation automatically so that when the support for th Afront `e`n`d1of` the-trailer iselevated togan inoperative position, said interconnections .will move or automatically adjustithemselves to peri mit-the contact means on the trailer toas'sume an operative relation -in referenceto the contact means ion the tractor vehicle-f or fifth wheel, which, of course, will be engaged Withthe front end of the vtrailer before th'esaidsupport is raised; This latter 'action is necessary abecause the weight ofthe frontend of the trailer must be taken oir, of the movable support atasuch end before said support is relieved ofj its f unctions'to carryv said frontend vof the'trailer. i 1

According to some constructionsof tractortrailer'y combination-vehicles, a `safety connection is provided between the tractorand trailer fth (ci. 28o-33.1)

Wheels involvingr the usev of a locking or connecting pin controlled by the front supports. of the vehicle and operated by said front supports when theyv are down in'their effective positions, whereby to'release the connection established by the safety pin andpermit separation of the said vtractor and trailer iiithiwheels.VV Thereafter, .an

operation ofv the'front support for the trailer to 1 `carry'it to its travelling or inactive position like-i wise controls'the-movement of the safetypin to restore the latterV toits position for locking the fifth wheels-together independently 'of the regular latch devices that are mounted on the' tractorV fifth wheel and customarily engaged with the king pin onthe trailer. The present invention relating to the signalling appliances Vmay or may not be used in. conjunction with the safety pin locking means above referred to. I

y VIn the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of the front end portion' of aV known type of semi-trailer, the frame broken away, and the invention illustrated in connection therewith.v` Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1,-omitting the illustration of the support and showing the es Y sential'operating parts of lFig/1 inthe positions assumed thereby when kthe trailer contacts are Villustrated or placed win inoperative positions.

Fig. l3 is agfra'gmentary'sectional view of the switch or contact"'bearing,lever showing more clearly the mounting of the electrical contact devices.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view primarily the parts of Fig. 3. lIn ythe accompanying drawing,V A` denotes the frame of a known type of semitrailer, the rear endfof the frame A being carriedA by ground wheels notfillustrated, andthe'front end of the frame being equipped with a king pin l dependent therefrom and adapted to establish a coupling connectionwitha fifth wheel carried bythe rear end of Ya 'four wheel4 tractor vehicle, .such as ai truck`,'or any suitablemotor propelled machinek .of this type. The trailer frame A is YequippedV with' the usual hand operated support 2 provided showing Sill4 with the small supporting wheels Sto enable the trailer to be moved when the support l2 yis operative, and.. said support 2 is moved to and. from its operativepositions by any suitable manual` means. The manual means `is partiallyillustrated as the linkefconnected Ato the lower end of the to move the nut 5 and thus raise and lower the support 2.

The support 2 is carried by a horizontal axis member 7 upon which is also mounted an actuating lever 8, comprising the arms 8a and 8b, the lever arm 8a being in the path of movement of an abutment member 9 near the upper end of the support 2. The lever arm 8b is connected by a rod l0 passing through a cross channel 11 of the frame A and attached to the upper end of the vertical arm 12 of a bell crank lever, the lower arm 13 of which is attached to a safetypin 14 operating in the king pin 1. Y

A compressible spring 15 normally has eX- pansion action to move the lever 12 and pin ifi into the position shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the pin 14 is beneath and adapted to abut with the free end portion of a contact supporting lever 16. This lever 16 pivotally supports the several contacts 1'? adapted to move upwardly and downwardly through an opening in the bottom plate 18 at the front end of the frame A.'

Normally, a spring 19 tends to push down on the lever 16 to carry the contacts'l'l downwardly, through the frame plate 18, and into an operative position to engage with cooperating contacts 17' upon the tractor vehicle fth wheel in a well known manner, preferably embedded or recessed in the lower fifth wheel and being arcuate in form to permit continuous and unbroken contact of the contact members whenthe same are in operative position throughout the normal relative horizontal swing of the vehicles as in going around curves. v

The foregoing being understood to be the construction of the various parts used-in my invention, I now set forth the operation thereof. Assuming that the parts are in the full linepositions of Figure 1, it is evident that the contactsl' are at their downward adjustment or limit of` movement. The parts in the positions of Figure 1 are operative as when the tractor vehicle is coupled to the trailer frame A by means of the king pin l. supposing now that the tractor vehicle is to be uncoupled, the first operation, of course, is the lowering of the support 2 by the manually operated means 5 and 6.` Such operation brings the support 2 to the full line position of Figure 2, and causes the abutment 9 to engage ,the lever arm 8.a :to cause the lever 8 to assume the position shown in Figure 2.

The action of the lever 8 exerts a pull on the rod 10 compressing the spring 15v and rocking the lever 12-13 in such a way as to lift the pin 14. Lifting of the pin 14 rocks the Contact supporting lever 16 upwards as shown in Figure2 thereby raising the contacts 17 into their inoperative position so that these contacts are separated from and out of the way of the Contact members on the tractor fifth wheel when the said fifth wheel moves from beneathV the front end of the frame A in uncoupling it from the king pin 1 in a manner well known to .those versedin the art. Later, upon the recoupling of the tractor vehicle with the king pin land trailer frame A, the elevationof the support 2, manually,'relieves the lever 8 of the pressure of theabutment 9, whereupon the spring 15 and the spring 19 tc'- gether carry the'parts 12-13 and Iii-1'? together with the pin 14 back to the .operative positions shown in Figure 1.

Usually certain lock members upon the lower fifth wheel B of the tractor engage withv the king pin l on the trailer to thus connect the trailer fifth wheel andking pin withthe tractor Y claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isz- 1. In a trailer vehicle of the class described, a trailer frame, a temporary support for the front end of said frame when the trailer is disconnected from its tractor vehicle, said support being movable to operative and inoperative positions, a contact device mounted on the trailer frame for cooperation with a corresponding contact device carried by a tractor vehicle, and mechanism operable by said support for rendering the said contact device operative and inoperative according to the particular adjustment of the support. y I

2. In a trailer vehicle of the class described, a trailer frame, a ground engaging support for the front end of the frame movable thereon to operative and inoperative positions, and electrical circuit closing contact means on the trailer frame movable to operative and inoperative poi- 16 sitions by the said support.

3. In a trailer vehicle o f the class described, a trailerframe, a temporary ground engaging support mountedon the trailer frame to support same when disconnected from a tractor vehicle 119 but movable to non-supporting position, signal connecting devices carried by the trailer frame and connections Abetween the signal connecting devices and'said support actuating said signal connecting. devices by the movement of the supl@ port.

4. In a trailer vehicle of the class described, in combination, a trailer frame, a coupling king pin thereon, a safety pin mounted in the said coupling king pin, a temporary support for the front end of the trailer frame, a contact device mounted on the trailer frame and movable to and from operative position, together with Vconnecting meansoperable by the said support to actuate said safety pin, and a lever connected 12 with said contact device and operablefby the safety pinwhereby movement of the Asaid support to and from operative position controls adjustment of the said contact device to and from operative position.

5. In a trailer vehicle of the class described, in combination, a trailerI frame, a support for the front end of said frame movable to operative and inoperative positions, a couplingkingpin carried by said trailer frame, a safety pin mov- 13,5 able in said king pin, linkage and lever means operable by the support and connected with the safety pin, an electrical contact device, a lever carrying said contactv device to move same to and fromoperatve positions, said lever cooperative with the safety pin to be moved thereby on movement of the safety pin, and spring means for acuating said linkage and lever partsupon adjustment of the support to an inoperative posil6. In a trailer vehicle of the class described, in combination, a trailer frame, a support vfor the front end of the saidframe movable to operative and inoperative positions, a coupling king pin carried by said trailer frame, ka safety pin 15,0

Vmovable in said king pin, linkage and lever means operable by the support and connected with the safety pin, an electrical contact device, a lever carrying said contact device to move same to and from operative positions, said lever cooperative with the safety pin to be moved thereby on movement of the safety pin, and spring means for actuating said linkage and lever parts upon adjustment of the support to an inoperative position, the said support being equipped with an abutment cooperative with said rst .mentioned linkage and leverage support for moving the latter and the safety pin in a direction opposite to its movement under the inuence of the spring means.

7. In a trailer vehicle of the class described, a trailer frame, a support for the front end of the frame movable thereon to operative and inoperative positions, and a movable automatic electric contact switch on said frame constituting means for establishing electric connections 8. In a trailer vehicle of the class described, a trailer frame, a support for the front vend of the frame movable thereon to operative and inoperative or traveling positions, and a movable automatic electric contact switch on said frame constituting means for establishing electric connections with a cooperating tractor vehicle part, with interconnections between the support and said switch actuating thelatter by the support, said interconnections automatically permitting movement of the switch to its operative contact connecting position whenthe support is'raised to a travelling position. f

9.` In a trailer vehicle of the class described, a trailerframe, a ground engaging support for the front end of the frame movable thereon to operative and inoperative'positions, and electrical circuit closing contact means on the trailer frame movable to operative and inoperative positionsV by the said support, the movement rof said contact means to inoperative position being effected approximately at the end of the movement of said support to operative position.

EDWIN HOWE ALLEN.

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